Ex-church leader guilty of abuse

Kenneth Best admitted six charges of indecent assault

A former president of the Methodist Church in Ireland has pleaded guilty at Belfast Crown Court to sexually abusing a schoolboy 40 years ago.

Kenneth Best, 62, formerly of Green Road, Belfast, pleaded guilty to six charges of indecent assault between 1 January 1963 and 31 December 1966.

He was aged 19 when he first abused the teenager who was then aged 14.

Best, head of the Methodist Church from 1996 to 1997, was granted continuing bail pending reports.

He was released after signing the sex offenders' register.

Belfast Recorder, Judge Tom Burgess, who asked for a victim impact report and also ordered pre-sentence reports on Best, said releasing him on bail, "in no way ties my hands to the eventual disposal of this matter".

Defence lawyer Eugene Grant said that in addition to the pre-sentence report on Best, who will be sentenced next month, a number of other reports on him will be provided for the court.